


Fear Itself

by rockymountainvixen



Series: Magic, Lies, and the Shining [1]
Category: Doctor Sleep - Stephen King, Journey into Mystery, KING Stephen - Works, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Cute Kids, Developing Friendships, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Kid Loki, Leah of Hel - Freeform, Lies, Meddling Kids, Secrets, Strained Friendships, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-03-21 08:10:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3684744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rockymountainvixen/pseuds/rockymountainvixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a particularly nasty round of bad luck leaves the Stone family in massive debt and forces Abra to move in with her Uncle Dan she doesn't think it can get any worse; turns out she's wrong. The Asgardian apocalypse is happening and there's nothing any ordinary human can do about it. Fortunately, Abra's no ordinary human, she has the shining, and her two new friends* have talents of their own. If they work together, the world just might be saved.</p>
<p>*Okay so Loki and Leah might not have met Abra yet, or talked with her, or realized that she exists at all, but the three of them are totally going to be friends, Abra knows it, just wait and see.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part the First

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first work in a crossover series about Abra Stone from Stephen King's Dr. Sleep working with Kid Loki and Leah from Journey into Mystery. If you don't know much about Abra you can peek on the Dr. Sleep page in the Stephen King wiki; it will give you her basic background story without too many spoilers. That being said, this story is going to be chock-full of spoilers from Dr. Sleep and Journey into Mystery. I'm going to try and to my best to represent King and Gillen's amazing characters so updates may be few and far between. This is my first long-term, serious writing project so feedback and criticisms are much appreciated.

* * *

    

Abra Rafaella Stone sat in a beat-up lawn chair at the edge of the trailer park facing the setting sun. While the day’s final rays of sunshine were a spectacular sight her focus was drawn to the fallen city of Asgard and the technicolor tree roots dangling above it. She remembered all too well the cataclysms that brought them both here and knew that more were on their way.

Her gut twisted uncomfortably, the last time she saw future things this clearly was when she was little; the sudden upgrade in her senses was hard to adjust to. After moving here her shine started getting stronger, probably because she was so close to Asgard. Her uncle Dan said certain places called out to those with the shining. It didn’t surprise either of them that Asgard was one.

Abra had been living in another town when Asgard came to Broxton; she got the story from second and third hand accounts, but its fall was something she could never forget. Uniformed men

_monsters_

and jets screaming through the sky, soldiers herding people out of the streets, the single mighty blow that had sent the city crashing out of the sky into the ground, countless screams from gods and humans (living and dead) and the dark, horrible thing that had emerged and almost caused the end of everything. Shortly after the fall came the roots in the sky that connected here to somewhere else. They were preceded by blood raining down from the sky, giants rising from the earth, and the brilliant flash of light that dispersed them and left the rainbow roots in their place. Now she sensed another world-shaking disaster, something old and hungry straining to be free after being locked away for so long. Even when she shut her eyes she saw it; a serpent twisting in a strange shape, triangles inside a circle.

As frightening and unearthly as these events had been and would be, Abra would much rather dwell on them than her own circumstances. She and Uncle Dan had been able to kill the woman in the hat and her followers, ending their kid-killing cult once and for all, but they had missed a few stragglers that had left the woman in the hat before they arrived. They weren’t the threat that the woman had been, they would probably die off from their measles in less than a few months. The stragglers were too cowardly to face her and Dan, but they were bold enough to seek revenge. There was enough shine between the few of them to sneak up on her house while she and her parents were gone, and burn it to the ground. Abra and Dan knew what was going on as soon as the smoke started to rise. By the time they rushed back it was too late, the stragglers were gone and the house and everything in it were rubble. The fire department verified it after minutes on the scene; a clear cut case of arson, plenty of accelerant but no lit cigarettes or blown fuses to indicate an accident. The cops and the insurance company confirmed it too, the trouble was none of them believed a family who recently traded an elderly relative for a fat stack of medical bills was above torching their own home for the insurance money.

In the end her family was grateful that no one had to do jail time. Instead her parents had to move into a crappy apartment in Oklahoma City so that both of them could work to pay off Momo’s hospice bills, the mortgage on their destroyed house, and the criminal suit courtesy of the state of Oklahoma. If CPS saw Abra in the ratty hole in the ground her parents managed to scrape together rent money for each month social services would snatch her up and never let go. To avoid getting stuck in a foster home she went to live with Uncle Dan at his place in Broxton; where people were more likely to help out struggling families than split them up. Dan was amazing and she could talk to him about the things her Mom and Dad would never understand, no matter how hard they tried, but his place wasn’t much of an improvement from her parents’.

Dan’s home was a dingy trailer in the neighborhood next to the hospice on the southern side of Broxton (a.k.a. the trailer park where all the poor people in town lived). It was small and only had a few pieces of used furniture, but it was clean and well maintained. He balanced his work, free time, and AA meetings to live a good life out of that trailer, a balance that was thrown out of whack when Abra arrived. Extra groceries, another mattress, school supplies, and maxi-pads were just a few of the new expenses her advent added to his shoestring budget. With all that on their plates, plans of college and retirement became flimsy fantasies for her family.

She and Dan would have been going through garbage cans for meals if it weren’t for the charity of the Biddy Brigade and their adjutants. She was more than grateful for the help, most of her clothes and their meals came from them, but it still prickled that everything she owned was a handout or a cast-off. What stung even more was that for every person who pretended Abra and Dan weren’t living below the poverty line, even when the whole town knew just how poor they were, there was someone who wouldn’t let them forget it.

Abra pressed her lips together while jamming her family’s troubles back into her subconscious. Going over her lot in life wouldn’t change anything, and it certainly wasn’t going to make her feel better. Her pupils dilated in relief as the sun finally sank below the horizon, with the blinding light gone she could finally see the screen of her Stark-Phone. Their phones had been one of the few things her family had that wasn’t destroyed along with their house, and thanks to the twelve year family plan her mother had insisted on they didn’t have to worry about paying phone bills for a long time.

Abra had intended to just browse Pinterest, not log onto a chat room; which was exactly what she found herself compelled to do. Trusting her shine, she found the website she knew was right and began scrolling. She didn’t know what username she was looking for, only that she would know when she saw it. After almost ten minutes of non-stop scrolling she found the person she hadn’t known she was looking for; _lokiofasgard_. For the first time in a long time she smiled at the thought of the future, at the things she knew would happen as soon as she saw that name.

_We are going to be friends_

Abra clicked the link and entered the chat room.


	2. Part the Second

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long time between update, but now that it's summer and I'm back home where I have my comic books to reference things should go quicker. Just to clarify, italicized text lines are thoughts.

* * *

 

Loki squinted and bit his lip as he tried to decipher the images on his Stark-Phone. For all the claims the Broxton merchant made about the device’s abilities, the ease of seeing what was actually displayed on it varied greatly, depending on the brightness of his surroundings. He had come to the boulders and rubble on the outskirts of the fallen Asgard to explore the uses of his new device, but it seemed that the Midgardian sunlight made for even poorer viewing of his Stark-Phone than the dim torchlight of Asgard.

_Perhaps I should have kept the instructional pamphlet that came with this_

Regardless of this phone’s infuriating shortcomings he had achieved a mastery of its basic functions. Currently, he was communicating with others in possession of Stark-Phones in an online forum of communication called a chat room. Taking advantage of his proximity to the roots of Yggdrasil, Loki used the phone’s camera application to post a picture of them in the chat room. While the general response to his picture was awe, some of the comments leaned toward the more negative and less intelligent.

**LENSMAN47: Awesome. What filter is that?**

**LOKIOFASGARD: There’s no filter.**

**LENSMAN47: OBVIOUS FAKE IS OBVIOUS! STOP LYING!!!**

**LOKIOFASGARD: I’m not!**

Loki frowned slightly, “Why does everyone assume I’m lying?” he mumbled. This was becoming tiresome. He was crafting a scathing reply when another comment popped up.

**ABRACADABRA: This is totes real!**

Below abracadabra’s comment was another image of Yggdrasil. This one was taken from a greater distance away with several human buildings in the edges of the picture. Loki shifted his gaze from the Stark-Phone in his hands to the town of Broxton in the distance. It was obvious that this photo had been taken in the near-by city.

**LOKIOFASGARD: Are you in Broxton?**

**ABRACADABRA: Yep, I live here. What about you?**

**LOKIOFASGARD: I’m a god of Asgard and I live in the rubble that is left of the Shining City. Though I frequently visit Broxton during my explorations of the area.**

Surprisingly enough, abracadabra did not respond to his statement with claims of him being a troll, as did many other internet users.

**ABRACADABRA: Cool! We should chat more, my name is Abra. What’s yours?**

Before he could respond to Abra’s most recent message a hard shove from behind knocked him to the ground. Ignoring the sting of the blow, Loki turned to face his aggressor, it was Galinn; stupid, brutish Galinn. “Why have you decided to grace me with your presence?” Loki spat sarcastically.

“You know why,” Galinn said with a growl, “Because you are a helspawned lickspittle who brought Asgard crashing down and in doing so sent many good souls to the pits and…” confusion dampened Galinn’s tirade when he caught sight of Loki’s Stark-Phone. “What is that? What devilish device is--”

“It is a device beyond your ken,” Loki interrupted while picking up his phone and getting to his feet. “Of course I suspect toilet rags are also beyond your ken,” he sneered while wiping blood from his nose.

Galinn’s thick features twisted in rage, he shouted, “I’m going to break you!” before Galinn could make good on his threat he was stopped by Thor’s arrival, Mjolnir still swinging from flight.

“Is there a problem here?” the Thunderer rumbled.

Galinn, his bravado having disappeared when Thor arrived, struggled to come up with an answer. “Lord Thor,” Galinn muttered “He was disrespectful,”

It took all of Loki’s willpower to keep from rolling his eyes at such a poor excuse for a lie. “A little, and for that I apologize most sincerely,” he said while doing his best to keep the sarcasm out of his voice “My mood was distempered from physical pain, I can only regret my words,”

“And do you accept this?” Thor said while staring pointedly at Galinn.

Galinn, now slightly nervous, mumbled “…Aye, Thor”

“Then you should take your leave,” Thor grumbled with barely concealed fury. Chastened, Galinn slunk away, leaving the brothers to themselves. With the target of his rage gone Thor’s expression eased from anger to concern. “Loki. Are you well? This bullying will pass. You will…” he trailed off upon seeing Loki’s new phone. “Where did you get that Stark-Phone?” he asked.

“From the merchants of Broxton. I bought it,” Loki said, trying to make his tone as flippant as possible, hoping Thor wouldn’t press any further.

“How did you pay for it brother?” Thor asked with a raised eyebrow.

After finally pulling up the chat room again Loki replied “With gold. They seemed pleased with the deal,” still keeping his manner careless.

“And where did you get the gold from?” Thor asked again.

Knowing there was no way to dance around it any longer, Loki reluctantly said “I got it off the dwarves; and before you ask, Thor, we were gambling,”

“Were you cheating, Loki?” Thor said as patiently as he could manage.

Pausing from his search through the chat room, Loki looked up make eye contact with his brother “Yes, but they were too!” he said cheerfully “Cheating was the game and I triumphed unfairly most fairly!”

Thor was clearly displeased with this, but he was not angry. “I do not think I approve,” he said at last.

“There was no harm; unlike this! The humans of the internet are uncouth,” Loki said perkily, eager to change the subject “When I said I was an Asgardian god, they called me a troll!” he showed Thor excerpts from his correspondences to verify it.

They stood silently for a while before Thor spoke “But you are a half-giant,”

“Exactly!” Loki said in exasperation “They wouldn’t accept it!”

Thor smiled at him “They are a frustrating people, but they are good,” he said while looking fondly towards Broxton in the distance.

Taking advantage of Thor’s divided attention, Loki finally recovered the correspondence between himself and Abra.

_Thor may believe the best of Midgard and its people, but I will discover for myself what the humans are capable of_

“They are better than they know, and by coming together, we will build Asgard anew,” Thor finished.

“So I understand,” Loki said softly “But I do not think father approves,” Odin was adamantly against many of the changes in the new Asgard; Loki’s arrival foremost. He still had shivers when he recalled the first time he met with his father in this new life; Odin’s face had been hardened by rage and his voice thundered when he commanded Loki to vanish from his sight or suffer the consequences.

At the mention of their father Thor became somber “Odin has his reservations and a rage I do not understand. I fear that peace between us could shatter at any moment,” he stated solemnly “He is not pleased with all my decisions,”

“He will learn,” Loki said while he finished typing his long overdue reply to Abra “Change is good; the new is good,”

“Aye,” Thor said quietly “In this we must have faith,”

**LOKIOFASGARD: My name is Loki, I am looking forward to our future communication.**


	3. Part the Third

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very fast update, the next one will take a bit more time. This is a pretty short chapter, but a vital event happens.

* * *

 

There were few things in the nine worlds that could trouble the queen of the dead, and she had just dealt with many of them in a very short amount of time. Hela quickened her pace as she finished the final round through her fortress. The Disir had only devoured a few of her subjects, but a far greater toll had been taken on the peace of the queen’s domain.

_We will never be safe here, not in Mephisto’s realm_

The queen had hoped the corner of Hell Mephisto bequeathed to her would be sufficient to protect her charges from the bloody mouthed ones. The damage dealt to Hela herself was a testament to how little protection the dead truly had.

_If Mephisto had any involvement in their assault there is nowhere in Yggdrasil where he will be safe from my wrath_

Mercifully, there was some small gain among the loss. During the battle with the Disir, Hela met the one handed warrior, Tyr, who cast aside all fear and doubt to defend her and the dead. An agreement to aid Balder in his eternal battle in limbo gained her Tyr’s services as her general. He would be a great asset to the queen.

_Generals are all well and good, but what I need above all is Niflheim_

Her true home would be the haven the Mephisto’s realm was not. The carrion women would never dare trespass where the queen ruled absolute. Hela’s hand tightened into a fist in a rare outwardly display of anger. 

_They have no right to bar me_

They Aesir thought to cripple an old enemy by keeping her from Niflheim, a stupid, short-sighted mistake she had come to expect from the likes of Asgard.

_If they thought I was troublesome before they have yet to witness my true fury_

Plans of conquest and vengeance must be put on hold; the serpent was rising after all this time and Hela needed to prepare herself and her charges. Finally, she reached her destination, a room of old magic in the bowels of her fortress. Here there should be enough eldritch power to help her do what needed to be done. Though healing was one of the few forms of magic in which Hela was not thoroughly learned, the dead had no use for such art, the queen now found herself in need of it. A flicker of worry sparked in her chest only to be instantly smothered by resolve as the queen stepped up to the ancient altar. Her duty was to the dead, she would guard them for all eternity, whole or in pieces.

_I am dread Queen Hela and I will do what needs to be done_

Falling from her grip, Hela’s severed right hand landed in the center of the altar. Wasting no time, she began to chant the words of power, calling upon archaic forces. Healing spells were beyond her abilities, but the queen might be healed by another kind of spell. A spell from the time before Ymir, forgotten by all younger than she, its purpose was to bring out the original nature of a being, each creature’s undeniable truth. Cast properly this ancient spell would undo the lie of separation and make Hela whole once more; cast incorrectly and the queen would be crippled beyond repair. However the time for doubts was long past, the incantation was almost complete, runes carved into the room glowed with power, and then it was done.

A brilliant burst of light and smoke enveloped the altar, causing the queen to shield her eyes and take several steps back. She glanced to her right arm, only to see to stump of her wrist. It had not worked, Hela was still incomplete. Despite this, the spell had not failed, but if the queen’s wound had not healed what had become of her hand.

Looking back towards the altar, Hela attempted to make out its shape through the haze. To the queen’s surprise her severed hand was gone and a young girl in a green dress, who much resembled Hela herself, stood before the altar. The girl gazed upon her own hands and arms with the disorientation of a newborn being. The adolescent soon shifted her sight from her own form, to her surroundings, and eventually, to Hela herself.

“What is all this?” the girl asked with an almost inaudible quaver to her voice.

Hela pulled herself to her full height.

_This is not the outcome I desired, but it will suffice for now_

“You are in the domain and presence of Hela; Queen of the dead and ruler of Hel,” the queen said in her most orotund tone “You were born of my severed hand and so you shall be my handmaiden, you will serve me and the dead until the time comes that my hand can be healed and you are no longer needed,”

For a moment it seemed that the girl might protest, she must have quickly thought better of it for the handmaiden only replied with a soft “Yes mistress,”

“Good,” Hela said crisply “Now come, there is much work to be done,” and made to leave the room of old magic.

“Mistress,” the handmaiden interjected.

Hela turned “What is it?” she said sharply.

“Am I to have a name?” the handmaiden asked in a manner that was almost challenging.

Deciding to let the slight disrespect pass unnoticed for the time being Hela replied “Yes, you shall have a name,” the queen considered for a short time before speaking again.

“You will be known as Leah of Hel,”


	4. Part the Fourth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be the last slowish chapter, after this things start to pick up a lot quicker,

* * *

 

“While I can’t promise you we’ll meet any of Broxton’s famous neighbors while we’re on the tour, I can tell you they’re just like us, only bigger, a little louder, and, lord, do they know how to make a ruckus. The closeness between Broxton and Asgard has caused its share of…well…between the gods, the super heroes, the fisticuffs, and everything in between, let’s just say life around here isn’t quiet...but it’s a small price to pay for all the fireworks,”

The tour guide’s claims were ironically punctuated by the house with the For Sale sign and moving van in front of it that the tour bus drove by. Abra was used to the opposing opinions the other native Broxtoners had of Asgard; some people loved being next to it, some people hated it, and some people just shrugged their shoulders at it and went back to their lives. She couldn’t even walk home from school without being bombarded by the dueling viewpoints of the townsfolk. While she and Dan fit into the final crowd, the sudden influx of tourists was pretty grating on the nerves; at this point all they wanted was for people to stop arguing about the Pros and Cons of living down the road from Asgard and just get on with their lives.

While pausing by the soon-to-be-empty house in order to dislodge a pebble from her sneaker, Abra was hit by mental bullets from the homeowners.

_wish they would go back to where they came from, damn gods think they can do whatever they want and have the government bail them out, no one came to rebuild my goddamn house_

_don’t really blame them, a lot of this trouble isn’t their fault, but it didn’t start until they came here, are worse things going to happen, will we stay safe_

Quickly readjusting her sneaker with trembling fingers, Abra made a hasty retreat. Normally she had perfect control of when she did and didn’t see into people’s heads, but just starting earlier today, outside forces were starting to shove things into her mind whether she wanted to hear them or not. Abra knew why to, the disaster on the horizon was closing in fast.

_The red-skull woman has the first hammer_

Abra couldn’t pinpoint exactly who or what was causing the impending catastrophe, but sometimes she got glimpses. From what she could interpret, this red-skull woman was about to unleash a big, bad Asgardian secret. Even just the woman by herself was starting to stir up major trouble. Strange currents of energy were snaking their way across the town and stirring up peoples’ worst fears; drumming them up to crazy high levels and jamming it all in her face. 

As bad as it was this was nothing; Abra knew much worse was coming. What was going on right now was a trickle, a light shower, the few harmless drops of rain which wouldn’t even get your shoes wet that came before a full on storm. Soon the storm would be raging, fear would rise higher and higher until they were drowning in it. Broxton would be in manic chaos.

Unlike all the other times, this wouldn’t just be in Broxton. All across the planet there would be panic, riots, and anarchy. Abra’s pace quickened.

_What’s going to happen to Mom and Dad?_

There was no time for her parents to get out of Oklahoma City before things got bad, could they stay safe in a place packed with people in a magic-induced fear frenzy?

Besides her Mom and Dad, Abra had her new internet friend to worry about; she wanted so badly to believe that Loki’s being an actual god would keep him a little bit safer, but deep down, Abra knew that Loki was going to be in even more danger than anyone else.

_Everything is going to hell in less than twenty-four hours and I can’t do a thing to stop it, Mom and Dad are far away and surrounded by six-hundred-thousand ticking time bombs of fear, Loki’s going to be right in the thick of all the godly nastiness where I can’t help him, can me and Uncle Dan even stay safe? this is so much bigger than me, bigger than everything, I always thought the Shining gave me so much power, but compared to this, can I do anything, can I protect anyone, can I even protect myself?!_

Abra was so caught up in her anxiety she almost missed the pick-up truck speeding towards the crosswalk. Hurling her entire body weight forward and rolling the last few feet, Abra managed to save herself from getting pancaked. Ignoring the stinging pain from her skinned knees, Abra scrambled onto the curb. Propping herself up on the concrete, shaking and trembling, Abra tried to catch her breath.

_The fear magic is starting to get in my head_

Abra forcibly sucked in big breaths and willed the adrenalin to flow away to keep herself from full-on panicking. 

_FOCUS_

_You’re tough, you’re not going to be beat by some crazy-old forgotten god’s magic spell, you stopped the woman in the hat, she wanted to cut you up and eat you like a candy bar and you shoved her off the platform, you stopped her you can stop this to_

Calmer, Abra steeled herself and shut her eyes.

_I need a big, strong shield, made from titanium or adimantium or another super tough metal, thick and airtight, nothing gets past it, a big, strong, impenetrable shield that keeps all the fear stuff out of my head_

After a taking few more deep breaths Abra tested her new defense. The shield was doing a pretty good job of keeping the fear-magic out of her mind. When the magic intensified that might change, but it would do the job for now.

Reassured, Abra stood shakily and walked the final few blocks to her home. Walking in the door she was greeted by the sight of her Uncle Dan and his friend Billy packing large cardboard boxes full of clothes, blankets, and canned food. Upon her entry, Dan put down his box and turned to look at her, equal measures of determination and worry cutting deep lines into his face.

_Did something happen on your walk home?_

_I tripped and skinned my knees but I’m fine_

The fact that he didn’t press her on an obvious fib was a testament to how frightened he was. Abra had informed Uncle Dan as soon as she started getting the intrusive fear thoughts from other people. After confirming what Abra told him, Dan had contacted Billy and let him know what was going down; Billy didn’t have as much Shine as Abra or Dan, but even he could tell when something serious was about to happen. 

The spikes of fear Abra sensed and the glimpses she was getting of the godly instigators of them combined with Dan and Billy’s precognition gave the three of them a good idea of what was to come. Once the panic levels got high enough the Broxton townsfolk would barricade themselves in the middle school basement and set up road blocks on either side of town. At this point it was only a matter of time.

_I made a shield in my head to keep all the fear out  
_

_Good, I’ll make one and then help Billy with his_

_How long until we have to leave?_

_Not until tomorrow, Billy is going to stay overnight and help with the packing, you just take care of your stuff and then get some sleep_

After nodding at each other, Abra walked past Dan to her own room. Slowly and deliberately over the next few hours she packed her meager belongings into her backpack. Once she was done, Abra collapsed back on her mattress, too exhausted to try and change into pajamas that were at the bottom of her bag anyway. She had almost succeeded in falling asleep when a buzzing at her leg startled her back into full consciousness. Abra knew who the message was from before she even pulled out her phone.

_Loki_

**LOKIOFASGARD: I just wanted to inform you, the other gods and I are leaving.**

Abra typed as fast as she could with badly trembling fingers.

**ABRACADABRA: where are you going when are you coming back**

**LOKIOFASGARD: We are returning to where Asgard once stood in ages past. I don't know if we ever will return.**

She knew about this, Abra had known that this was going to happen for a few hours now, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear.

**ABRACADABRA: why are you leaving whats going on**

Loki took so long to reply Abra wasn’t sure he would, but when he did it knocked the air out of her lungs.

**LOKIOFASGARD: Bad things are happening on Midgard, while I do not know their full extent I would advise you to take your family and friends and go somewhere safe. I can’t speak any longer. This is goodbye Abra.**

For the longest time she just sat and stared at the typed message on her phone, it’s dim glow illuminating her otherwise dark bedroom. Finally, she turned off her phone, slipped it into her pocket, and curled up on her side. Even while pulling up her blanket Abra knew that she would get no sleep tonight.

 


	5. Part the Fifth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so no one is confused there is a time skip of about 24 hours between the events of the last chapter and this chapter. There is going to be a decent amount of time skips in this story in general, especially at parts where the story is almost identical to the original comics. The number of time skips should drop over time as the series deviates more and more from cannon.

“Now: stay here. Get cleaning. And cause no ill,”

“Certainly Volstagg. Rest assured, I have no further plans or schemes,” Loki said as meekly as he could manage. Satisfied for now, Volstagg turned and walked away, closing the stable door behind him. Loki watched him leave through the window. Once the voluminous warrior was out of sight Loki harnessed the goats. “Let’s go,”

For the most part Loki tempered whatever doubts and guilt he had while descending the World Tree.

_Thor is free now that’s what matters most_

Though he had freed his brother, whether or not Thor was able to kill the Serpent and fulfill the prophecy was another matter. However, Loki had plans to aid the prophecy in coming to fruition, no matter the cost. 

_If this fails Odin will raze Midgard and every living creature on it_

Finally, the goats reached earth, Loki dismounted and whistled to the Hel Wolf. When he looked into the distance, Loki imagined that he could see the lights of Broxton. Not for the first time, he wondered how Abra was faring. Ikol would scold him fiercely if he ever knew of Loki’s attachment to his internet ally, and rightly so. The only things he truly knew about Abra were that she is female and that she lives in Broxton; it is foolish to worry over someone he barely knows. Besides, the best thing Loki could do for the people of Midgard was help Thor strike down the Serpent

_even though he will perish doing so_

before the Serpent’s minions destroyed the realm, or Odin beat them to it. 

_I hope my final message to her was not overly cryptic and worrisome, though in my defense Volstagg had been pulling me onto the Bifrost as I was typing it_

At last, the Hel Wolf finished climbing out of the gorge. “I do not see why you had me hanging on that chain like some concubine’s lapdog,” he growled.

“Who says there is nothing in this world that can escape Heimdall’s attention?” Loki replied while climbing onto the Hel Wolf’s back “The world tree’s roots, not strictly speaking in the world,” he turned back to the goats “Masters Gnasher and Grinder, stay here, graze. You my Hel Wolf, to the dread reaches of Hel!”

“Pah, Hel I can stand, it’s limbo that’s hateful,” the Hel Wolf grumbled “Being dead there made me so angry that even my murderous rage held no pleasure,”

Loki tightened his grip on the bridle as the Hel Wolf began his descent down Yggdrasil.

_Definitely too late for any doubts now_

 

* * *

 

 “Are you deaf handmaiden? Run and fetch your mistress, I have much to discuss with her,”

Leah stood silently for a few seconds before turning and walking away.

_A servant I may be but not his_

Had Leah been a weak or cowardly creature she may have resented her lot as a handmaiden; fortunately Leah was neither of these things. The keeping of the dead was an important task, and who would do it if not for her mistress? Besides, circumstances could be far worse; a troll stupidly blundering into a trap, a dark elf dying on a battlefield in one senseless war or another, a mortal being trampled under the heel of a giant. Everyone has their fate and Leah’s was to serve Hela for her entire existence.

Stepping into a private hall, Leah faced Hela and her general Tyr. She spoke up “Milady,”

“Yes, Leah?” Hela replied.

“The tongue of the Serpent awaits,”

The three of them strode into the throne room, Hela seated herself while Leah and Tyr took their places beside the queen; Tyr on her right and Leah on her left.

“You fear the Serpent,” the tongue rasped “It is only right. He is all-powerful and vengeful, but only against his enemies. You are the custodian of the dead. You are shunned by Odin and hated by his children. You need not be the Serpent’s enemy,” he paused to allow his words to sink in before delivering the offer he had been sent to give “You could stand with him, he would not be ungrateful. He would not leave you here, in a squalid back-alley of a smug devil’s hell.”

“What if I think it’s better to rule here than bend a knee to an unknown?” Hela asked coolly.

The tongue’s lips parted across his razor sharp teeth in what could loosely be interpreted as a smile “It would be unwise,” he replied in a slimy tone “The Serpent is the lord of fear. He can stand anything; save a lack of proper terror towards his person. To deny him implies that you don’t fear him enough,” his disgusting grin widened “He will teach you to do so before the end, and even the dead can die Hela. Join us or he will take all that you have,”

If Hela was troubled by this threat she gave no sign “You make a persuasive argument, I have summoned chambers for you pleasure. Retire there and I will consider Hel’s position,”

Once the tongue and his entourage had left the throne room Tyr spoke up “No, Hela you cannot consider this!”

Instead of responding to her general Hela turned to her handmaiden “What do you say Leah?” she asked calmly.

Leah’s answer was cold and concise “You have been hurt enough you owe nothing to Odin, and the Aesir owe you a debt they will never repay. I would strike alongside the Serpent; one master is much the same as another,”

_As I know all too well_

“Hela-” Tyr started.

The queen cut him off “Tyr, what option do I have? Asgard will not hate us any less if we stand against them. My duty is to the dead,”

“Aye and I am the dead,” Tyr countered “In life I proved myself a coward. Eventually, I overcame my fear…but you can never ever redeem such a sin,” he inhaled deeply and took several steps closer to Hela “I chose a noble death, a new start, and in making our deal I chose to be with you,” Tyr was now only inches away from the queen “and now I am here. I am your general. I will lead you armies against this god of terror and Hela…” he looked deeply into her eyes “There is nothing I fear more,”

Hela held his gaze for a few moments before turning away “Go Tyr,” she said with solemn finality “You tempt me, in all things dead you are more alive than ever; but I must think of cold eternity, not red passion,”

Tyr was briefly silent following the queen’s dismissal “As you wish milady,” he responded solemnly before leaving the queen and the handmaiden alone.

Only after the war-god’s footsteps had faded into silence did Hela sigh deeply and rest her chin in her solitary hand. “Leah,”

“Yes mistress,” the handmaiden answered, obedient as ever.

“Never allow your thoughts to stray from duty,” the queen commanded wearily.

Leah risked a glance down the dark hall that Tyr had vanished into “Of course mistress,”

 

* * *

 

“Excuse me, you’d be…” Loki found that he could not recall the creature’s name.

“Garm,” Ikol provided.

“Garm, Yes?” he finished.

“Aye,” said the towering canine “and I guard the gates of Hel little one,”

“Yes, I thought it would be something like that,” Loki continued “and a wolf of Hel? There’s a lot of those around,”

Too late Garm saw the Hel Wolf bound toward her from a lofty cliff. Loki ran past the snarling wolves as fast as he could manage. The gully soon echoed with angry growls and snarls.

“See! Busy, busy canines,” Loki shouted towards them while fleeing deeper into Hela’s domain “Have fun! Don’t get killed! I’ll be back soon!”

Continuing onward at breakneck pace, Loki soon had Hela’s fortress in sight.

_Now time for the hard part_

Once he reached the base of the citadel Loki began to scale one of the massive stone walls, he climbed for a while before pulling himself onto a window. As luck would have it this window opened into a room that contained just the god he was hoping to speak with. Loki grinned “Hello Tyr,”

Quick as a flash the one handed general seized Loki by the throat “Tyr! I come in-” Loki was cut off by Tyr slamming him into the stone wall “Parley!”

“I would rather ensure you never speak again,” the war god snarled.

_This is going as well as could be expected_

“I am here for Asgard!” Loki shouted, all too aware of Tyr’s soul-blade at his throat “We…I need Hela’s help, and...I see she has guests of uncertain character. Does Hel stand with Asgard?”

Tyr’s weapon wavered “It is…also uncertain,” he said at last.

“Let me put it this way,” Loki continued, liking the new direction of the conversation “Does fallen Tyr stand with Asgard?”

“I see there are two serpent’s tongues in Hel,” Tyr said gruffly while releasing his grip on Loki, most of his fury having dissipated “Aye, I do, but Hela must never know we have sp-”

“I understand,” Loki cut him off while picking himself up of the floor “Now, tell me everything,”

 


	6. Part the Sixth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting with this chapter I'm going to try to update every Friday night.

The basement was crowded and chaotic with most of the small town’s population in it. No one took much notice of Abra sitting on her rolled out sleeping bag in a far-flung corner. Abra however, was keenly observing each and every person that she could. Despite an incredibly tense atmosphere, no one hunkered down in the basement was going crazy with fear, thanks to her and Uncle Dan putting shields in their heads. Dan and Billy were currently serving their shifts on guard duty at one of the road blocks on either side of town, keeping the worst of the crazies out. What gave Abra the most relief was her parents, they had managed to barricade themselves in their tiny apartment, sealing out the anarchy that was rapidly consuming Oklahoma City.

Abra kept tabs on everyone as best she could while sitting on her sleeping bag.

_Almost everyone,_

Loki was gone, far out of Abra’s range of sight, away in whatever mysterious place that was connected to the other end of the rainbow tree roots above Asgard. Without realizing it she had started to rub her mouth out of stress.

Practically anyone in Broxton would have been all too happy to give Abra the internet safety talk, to tell her that she could never really know who was on the other end of any online conversation. In most people’s cases this would be sound, sure advice. Abra was not most people.

She knew a bit about Loki, some he told her and some she just knew. In their few chat room conversations she found out that he was around her age, whatever that meant in god years, he enjoyed exploring all the possible uses of his new Stark-Phone, and he had an incredibly vicious sense of humor. What wasn’t discussed was the old Loki, the one who died when Asgard fell, the one that the new Loki was resurrected from, and the reason that almost everyone in Asgard hated her new friend enough to want him dead.

Using pictures and little bits of rubble, Abra had tried to look back and see exactly what the old Loki was like. The first time she managed to get a peek into the old Loki’s mind her screams had woken up the entire trailer park. She didn’t try again. A cold shiver crept down her spine as Abra recalled the horrors she had, thankfully, only glimpsed at. She knew one thing for sure, the old Loki was bad, just as bad as the woman in the hat, maybe even worse. Yet as monstrous as Abra knew the old Loki was, she knew with just as much certainty that the new Loki, her friend, was not him. He was a kid, like her, trying to get away from a troubled past. Even more than that, there was the unwavering truth Abra felt down to her bones, from the shining, the one that told her that she and Loki were going to be friends, no matter what.

Forcing herself to stop rubbing her mouth, Abra dug her fingernails into the fabric of her sleeping bag.

_Loki is in deep trouble, I know that much, but I have no idea where or why. There’s a veil between here and where he is that I just can’t see through, and I can’t travel to Loki’s location and check in him in person (albeit as a ghostie person)_

Realization hit her in the gut like an ice cold fist.

_Or can I? I don’t know where he is but I know where he went, up the tree roots. What’s there to stop me from traveling across them to?_

Without even thinking Abra knew the answer, nothing.

Trembling with nerves and excitement, she laid down on her back; so any bystanders would think she was sleeping. As Abra was closing her eyes sudden worry struck her.

_I’ve never traveled without Uncle Dan, do I tell him, will he worry, and how long can I stay away without him?_

Abra laid there, shock-still, for a few seconds before she closed her eyes again.

_I’ll stay out for as long as I can and my body isn’t going anywhere, Dan can call me back if he needs to._

Wasting no more time, Abra visualized a massive stone turntable.

_Turn,_

Away from the school, across town, past the road block, over Asgard, to where the tree meets the ground. Touching down, Abra got her bearings on her new surroundings.

The tree looked different, still huge and mysterious, but it looked less like a pulsing vein of energy and more like an actual tree. Abra reached out to touch it, the second her not-hand made contact cold lightning struck her. The icy energy tingled from her gut to her fingertips, but the affect wasn’t painful, it was exhilarating. Abra looked up at the tree with new awe.

_This solves one problem, as long as I keep touching the tree I can stay away for as long as I need to,_

Loud crunching sounds from behind her tore Abra’s attention away from the tree.

_It should be deserted, but someone else is here, over by those bushes,_

Cautiously, while leaving both hands on the tree, Abra examined the hulking shadowy shapes.

_Goats!?_

Giant, armor wearing goats, but just goats all the same. 

_Why are they here? Are they lost or did someone forget them? Either way I should bring them back,_

How she was going to accomplish that was tricky. Calling them would be a good place to start.

_Here goats,_

If they had heard her they chose to ignore her. Abra tried again louder.

_HERE GOATS, COME HERE PLEASE,_

This got a response, the goats started meandering towards her.

_THAT’S IT, COME HERE AND I’LL TAKE YOU HOME,_

As the goats began trotting towards her in earnest Aba stepped through the light, putting Broxton behind her for good.

The new world she found herself in sparkled with light and color, it was everywhere and nowhere, the place between places. The tree continued on, a long meandering path trailing into the distance that started at her feet, each step filling her with a rush of new energy.

Taking several quick steps, Abra giggled in a fit of giddiness before she started running in earnest, the goats clopping and bleating eagerly behind her. She let out a delighted laugh.

_I could never run near this fast back home, in my body, I could run to the edge of the universe if I tried!_

Abra kept racing along, faster and faster, until she and the goats reached the trunk of the massive tree, where eight other paths extended from it.

Exhilaration fading, Abra focused on what she came here to do.

_First things first, the goats,_

Abra looked until she found the path that she intuitively knew led to the goats’ home. She rushed down it after a backwards glance confirmed they were still following her. Once they reached the end, Abra stayed only long enough to confirm that the goats had made it back home before she flew back to the trunk.

_Now, where is Loki?_

Surprisingly, the path that she guessed led to Loki was the same one that went back home. After double-checking multiple times Abra began heading down the path that went home with more than a little uncertainty.

_He wasn’t anywhere on earth when I left, but none of the other paths seemed right, did he come back while I was away and I just missed him?_

As it turned out Abra was right and wrong, a smaller branch that diverged from the path going home led to where ever Loki was. 

_I think this is still kind of earth, just, kind of, maybe, on another level…_

Slightly more assured, Abra switched over to the new path. However, as she got further and further along dread coiled in the pit of her stomach. When she finally got to the end Abra stood, paralyzed with fright at what was on the end of the branch.

_This is a bad place, a lot of nasty, evil things are in there, things that aren’t human, things that can’t leave because they’re trapped, things that would rather die than stay here,_

More than anything Abra wanted to go home, even with all the chaos back there Broxton was exponentially safer than this place. Her uncle would be there, they could help people and do a lot just from Broxton, but…

_Loki and I are going to be friends, I’m sure of it, more sure than I am of anything else, whatever he’s doing here is important and if he can make a difference, even from here, then so can I,_

Wasting no more time, Abra stepped off the branch and into the terrifying unknown.


	7. Part the Seventh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, on schedule as promised, and to those of you in the states, Happy fourth of July!

After a very enlightening discussion with Tyr, Loki headed back to the outer reaches of Hel. After locating the Hel Wolf he climbed atop his back “Away Hel Wolf, to the court of Mephisto!” They bounded off.

Ikol flapped alongside him “Loki, this is foolhardy!” he squawked “In your previous life you had an understanding with the Hell-Lord, he thought you of a similar mold. That was trickery. You had more heart than he, and hid it expertly,” Ikol fixed his beady stare on Loki “But now you have even more heart and less guile. You are no longer the god Mephisto liked; in temperament or power. If he smells you out…”

“Shush Ikol,” Loki commanded crisply.

_As if I need reminding of how foolhardy this entire venture is,_

“I can pretend to be a villain as much as anyone,”

 

* * *

 

 “Loki, how surprising. I was somewhat hurt that you hadn’t presented yourself before my court already,” the Hell-Lord said bemusedly “I’m happy to see you make amends, please, let me get one of the girls to bring you a drink,”

Loki eyed the shackled, glowering Dísir “Er...no time, alas, business presses,” Loki said evenly, mindful of Mephisto’s gaze upon him. “You know of this Serpent?”

“I do,” Mephisto said calmly while sipping an unknown beverage out of a hollowed out skull “He wants to usurp old one-eye? There’s a tune I’ve heard before,”

“Do you have an opinion on him?” Loki asked.

“As long as he stays to his own domain it’s his domain, but still…” Mephisto paused “He appears to be a somewhat aggressive character. That demands expansion. Conservative gods like Odin maintain a status quo. This Serpent, I suspect, has ideas above his station. Odin or the Serpent; better the Devil you know,” the Hell-Lord’s solemn expression slid into a knowing grin “But that leads to another pertinent question little Loki. Which Devil are you?”

Loki forced himself to look Mephisto in the eye.

_By the Norns I hope this works,_

“When can I have my girls back?” he demanded.

“They died in Hell, they’re mine now,” Mephisto responded with dull surprise.

“Firstly, that you took such incredibly bad care of them doesn’t exactly endear you to me Mephisto; yes they were skin and bones before but I didn’t want them dead,” Loki said with as much boldness as he could muster while placing his hand on the shoulder of one of the Dísir “Secondly, their untimely passing just means they’re subjects of Hell, they’re still under my ultimate control,”

His speech appeared to satisfy Mephisto “Oh Loki, I’ve missed you so,”

“But that can wait,” Loki cut in “First things First, Hela plans to ally with the Serpent, he’ll own a strip of Hell, a beachhead some might say,”

Mephisto’s neutral expression twisted into a nasty smirk “Oh dear, that just won’t do at all,”

 

* * *

 

 

“Hela!” a young voice cried shattering the deathly silence of the queen’s throne room. Loki ran until he stood before the queen’s throne “I bring dire news!”

Hela’s face darkened with fury “Loki! You are not welcome here,”

Loki blurted out his message before the queen had a chance to smite him “Mephisto! He plans to invade Hel!”

Hela’s eyes flashed with rage and power “This will not stand,” she said ominously. A flash of magic at her fingertips and a glowing whorl of energy appeared, swallowing the queen and surely awaying her to confront Mephisto.

Tyr watched Hela depart uneasily “Loki, this isn’t what I had in mind,” he hissed.

Loki was unruffled “It gets Hela out of Hel,” he said “It gives us time to do what we have to. That is, find something to bring them together before they tear each other apart, someone to hate, someone to fear…”

Loki fixed his piercing green eyes on the war god “and the tongue will give it to us…or we’ll tear it out at its bloody root” he said while flashing a sinister grin.

As quick as it appeared Loki’s dark expression vanished “That’s the sort of thing I’m meant to say, yes?” he said with a smile.

 

* * *

  

In Hela’s absence the duties of her fortress fell to Leah, and as nothing required her immediate attention, Leah stood to the left of Hela’s throne; ready to run off and correct any troubles at a moment’s notice. As it turned out, the trouble decided to come to her.

“Dire news!” the boy shouted.

_So this is the infamous Loki, for all that is spoken of him I imagined he would be intimidating, or at the very least competent looking,_

“You’ve already brought ‘Dire news’ Loki,” Leah responded frostily.

“Direr news,” he countered “Approaching direst! Even your mistress must know!”

“You have sent her hurrying away, as you well know,” Leah said without her chilly demeanor cracking “She leaves Leah to run her house. I will not disturb her on your word alone,”

Undisturbed by her coldness, Loki continued “My pet, Ikol, when traveling on his wingly-flapping way, saw something she really should be aware of…” he trailed off before composing a sickeningly sweet smile and stepping closer to her “You’re a very pretty girl,” he said in a honeyed tone “Could you possibly help me? I would be exceedingly grateful,”

Though she kept her face smooth, a wicked idea simmered inside Leah.

_This is a very suitable opportunity to put this arrogant boy in his place,_

Moving her hands to Loki’s shoulders, Leah crooned “Oh, such dainty words, I feel something move deep within me...” Leah ceased her soft tone as she rammed a knee into Loki’s groin “Vomit or bile, I’d wager,” she finished with a sneer.

Loki doubled over onto the floor with a grimace “Leah,” he wheezed “Now that’s an interesting anagram,”

“As is Ikol,” Leah said while turning her focus to the magpie sitting on the arm of Hela’s throne “We are both pets of egotistical masters,” she raised her hands to the bird and began casting a brief spell “Now, let me see what your creature saw,”

Images flashed behind Leah’s eyes in rapid succession, most were trivial, but several filled her with dread.

_The tall red-skinned Mephisto, the cursed carrion women, Mephisto commanding them…_

“The Dís…” Leah whispered before she caught herself “Mephisto has the soul eaters,” she conjured a portal “Hela must know,” she commanded, as much to herself as to Loki and his bird.

As she stepped through the portal, Leah briefly heard the bird say something to Loki before he silenced the creature, then she was away, deeper into Mephisto’s domain and closer to her mistress. To Leah’s aggravation, her trip was not without delay, in order to avoid several demons under Mephisto’s command she had to journey using several portals; but at last she arrived.

Hela and Mephisto faced each other; neither willing to strike the first blow and break the stalemate.

“Mistress!” Leah called out.

“Leah, this is not the time,” Hela hissed angrily.

Leah continued unperturbed “Bor’s cursed handmaidens, those in whose guts too many of your charges lie, those who tore your hand from your body, those who would turn your domain into a pantry; they now serve Mephisto,”

Even the Hell-Lord had to quaver some under the undiluted fury the wrathful gaze Hela turned on him.

“Ready your demons,” Hela snarled “Ready your lifeless slaves and your stolen whores. It is not my domain that faces invasion,” the dark queen summoned her full armor and Nightsword, Leah stood beside her mistress, prepared to strike alongside her if need be.

Mephisto had recovered from his small bout of intimidation “You would invade hell? You think yourself above your station,”

Hela did not waver “I think you underestimate the dead’s grudge,” she said in a calm tone that poorly masked the fury roiling under the surface “Even an Asgardian’s shade is worth thousands of demons. If you do not deliver the bloody-mouthed ones to me we will empty your pit,”

The Hell-Lord smiled darkly at this “Please, what if I sent these girls you claim I have against you?”

If Hela was intimidated by this threat she didn’t show it “That was because I was unprepared,” she said “I have been busy since. I will break their paltry spirits across my wards and let the winds scatter their remains,”

Leah’s nails bit sharply into her palms.

_I hope she does not bluff,_

Mephisto grinned, power gathering at his fingertips “Such pride, a grievous sin, one of my all-time favorites,”

Hela raised her Nightsword “Very well, words have failed, war will prev-”

“Direst news!”

Leah snapped her neck around to see the source of the new voice.

_That dunce Loki, who else could it be,_

The multitude of scrolls in Loki’s arms began tumbling to the ground “The Serpent does not care whether Hela joins him or not,” he said “He has arranged an uprising, the dead will soon turn against their mistress,”

“Impossible,” Hela objected “The spirits of Hel are mine, I know them all and there is no rebellion here,”

Loki blathered on “So I would have thought, but these messages are clearly directed to those who would,” he held up the parchment for Hela’s examination.

She studied it for a few tense moments before muttering “I cannot fight an army within and without,”

“And as much as it pains me to say so,” Mephisto said while dispersing his summoned power with a disappointed look on his face “I don’t believe I can reclaim the kingdom from you before these plans of the Serpent come to fruition…”

Loki chose now to speak up once again “This may be speaking somewhat out of turn,”

Leah narrowed her eyes at him ever so slightly.

_Quite possibly the largest understatement I have ever heard,_

“But I believe I may have a solution to the present predicament…and perhaps teach this Serpent a lesson or four,”

If she could say nothing else about Loki, Leah would say it was somewhat impressive the way he could talk his way through anything.

_The nine realms may know you as Loki Silvertongue, but it will take a great deal to convince me that you have any substance to support your pretty words,_


	8. Part the Eighth

It wasn’t the real Hell, not like the one they talked about in church where sinners went when they died. However, it was still very much Hell in the sense it was a demon home base, which didn’t make it any nicer a place. Thankfully, Abra didn’t have to search too much of it to find Loki. She was finally able to catch up with him in a strange, dark castle. Loki was in what looked like a throne room, surprisingly enough, a girl about her and Loki’s age was there to.

_Leah,_

Abra had a good feeling about Leah, the same one she had about Loki. They were talking, Abra got the gist of their conversation, but right now she could barely intake all the information she was getting both from what she observed and visions the shining gave her.

  _A dark queen, a red lord, the Serpent(who was causing everything), earth burning…_

Processing most of it would have to come later.

Loki was trying to pull some moves on Leah, in response Leah kneed him in the groin. In spite of everything Abra laughed at that. Suddenly, Leah created a portal and whooshed away. Abra had to travel back and forth between them.

Loki and an older god named Tyr were getting information from one of the Serpent’s minions.

_The tongue,_

Abra saw a dark side of Loki that had either been hidden or she just hadn’t bothered to see it. 

_He’s acting like a sadistic maniac,_

She felt a lot better when she learned most of it was an act. Still, it was a shocking to see Loki playing on people’s expectations of being the person that Abra knew he wasn’t.

When Abra followed Leah things got a whole lot scarier.

_Hela,_

The tall, regal woman in the green dress and black cloak. Although Hela looked younger than her mom, Abra knew that she was easily older than Stonehenge and the pyramids combined. Looking at her was like staring into a bottomless whirlpool of infinite years of memories, if she peered too long Abra would be pulled down into it. As unnerving as Hela was the other person was much worse.

_Mephisto,_

He wasn’t even close to being human. The longer she stared at him the more she saw of his terrifying true form. Abra couldn’t even look directly at Mephisto without feeling light-headed, nauseous, dizzy, feverish, and terrified at the same time. The best she could manage was glancing at him through the corner of her eye. 

Just when it seemed Hela and Mephisto were about to launch all-out war on each other Loki showed up and calmed them down to a degree. The three of them managed to come to some sort of agreement, but there were plans to continue discussions; on earth.

Loki when ahead, Abra stayed behind following Leah, she knew she didn’t have long to wait. Sure enough Hela created a portal and beckoned Leah and Tyr to follow her through it. Unseen, Abra went as well, trailing just a few steps behind Leah.

_I still don’t know if I can do anything the way Loki and Leah can, but I’ll see them through to the end, I can do that much,_

 

* * *

  

“This will have to do,” Loki said once the Hel-Wolf arrived to the suitably deserted area on Midgard “Lie still Hel-Wolf and be quiet. We’ll soon have most prestigious company,”

Taking advantage of being back within phone range and the brief wait for Hela and Mephisto’s arrival, Loki tried texting Abra. It was futile, even after twenty minutes she didn’t reply.

_I really hope she’s not dead, though with my luck she probably is,_

Upon seeing dual portals appear Loki stuffed his Stark-Phone back in his pocket. Hela, Leah, and Tyr came through one; Mephisto and the Dísir through the other. The Hell-Lord was the one to speak up first.

“To business,”

The lot of them spoke and negotiated for a long while. At last a reasonable compromise was reached. Mephisto would send seven of the Dísir to police Hela’s realm against uprising and four to Loki’s aid (in exchange for Loki renouncing his claim on them). Hela would give Tyr and Leah’s services to Loki and retreat to her kingdom (in exchange for many, many promises that Loki hadn’t the slightest idea how to fulfill). Once the bargin was struck Hela and Mephisto departed to their respective Hells, leaving Loki and the others to bring about the Serpent’s downfall.

Tyr was the one to break the silence “So what now?”

“We go and we bite out this Serpent’s spleen,” the Hel-Wolf replied with a carnivorous grin “Obviously,”

“Oh Hel-Wolf,” Loki said with only a slightly sarcastic tone “You’re charming, but no. That is not how we wage our war,” he continued “There is a prophecy that Thor will fight the Serpent and they will slay one another; Thor will walk nine steps and fall. They are each other’s bane,”

Tyr appeared the most troubled that Loki had ever seen him “If this is so…what are we doing?” he asked.

Loki’s bit his lip in anxiety “There is prophecy and there is ‘Wishful Thinking’. There is prophecy and the divine equivalent of what the old say to the young to trick them into doing something stupid,” he said with a bitter smile “’and lo, it’s prophesized that Loki shall eat his vegetables’ and similar,”

_If only wishful thinking was all it took,_

“There is wishing and there is knowing. I went to the world tree and came back with scratches, scars, and precious knowledge,” Loki recited to his rag-tag audience “Let me tell you about the Serpent…”

 

* * *

 

  _Before the Serpent was what he is, he was a man of Asgard. Before he was a man of Asgard he was a boy. Willfulness had not yet hardened into black malice. He roamed the plains freely planning his future._

_Until one day the leathery giant-hands fell upon him._

_Despite his struggles he was taken to a storm-kissed peak._

_The Serpent was silent as he was taken. He was silent as he fell, and as the fist of the earth broke his bones only the slightest gasp escaped him._

_He should be dead but he found himself with a terrible thirst. One that he knew neither dew nor rainwater nor even the wines of distant Asgard would quench._

_He set his splintered limbs as best as he was able. They were awkward and ill formed and they would not support him but they would suffice._

_He realized that today was the day, but day was not right. He waited for the night of the day._

_The Serpent belly crawled to the camp of the slumbering, ale-sated giants and he made his way to each._

_And one by one he gave them sleep eternal._

_A score save one of giants’ throats he tore out that night._

_The one awoke to find himself alone, but with a message._

**_Gods do not live in the sky. We live on the earth, and you do so at our pleasure._ **

_And he understood the Serpent, and he rightly feared him, and all he told of that night did likewise forevermore._

 

* * *

 

"There is no way anyone can defeat a god like that,” Loki finished solemnly “We must be distinctly cleverer,”

“Cleverer?” Tyr practically shouted “Easy for you to say Loki, what you speak of sounds like a reason to despair,”

Loki hopped onto the Hel-Wolf’s back “No despair, not yet anyway,” he said “We have the personages for what I plan, we merely lack a couple of tools; one lies in Asgard the other in limbo,” Loki fixed the bridle into place “Everyone, stay here, play nice, don’t eat anyone. I’ll return shortly,”

_I hope,_

The Hel-Wolf laughed coarsely “Hah, limbo? You’ll be lucky. Asgard is easy, but limbo?” he scoffed “Limbo is where reality vomits dead demons and the soulless. How are you going to get to limb-” realization stuck the Hel-Wolf “…no” too late the demon wolf saw the Dísir drawing their blades.

“Ladies! As we discussed!” Loki called out.

The Hel-Wolf bellowed with rage “YOU BAST-” the carrion women’s swords cut off the rest of his angry tirade.

Loki braced himself “Limbo, Ho!”

 

* * *

 

  If Abra had a bit more self-preservation instinct she would have high-tailed it out of there and back to Broxton as soon as she was done listening to Loki’s speech, fortunately she didn’t.

_Wherever Loki and that monster dog are going now is even worse than the last place we were in,_

Abra could have just stayed in the backyard with Leah, the one-handed Tyr, and the shriveled-up, scary ladies; but she knew that they would be safe here. Loki not so much. Furthermore, now that she was away from the tree, Abra’s strength was rapidly fading. Soon she would be pulled back to Broxton whether she liked it or not.

_I’ll just make sure Loki gets back from there, and then I’ll go home to rest, I can hang on that much longer, I’ll figure out the rest after that,_

Wasting no more time, Abra leaped into the swirling vortex just after Loki and the giant wolf vanished into it. 

As she was pulled deeper and deeper into whatever netherworld awaited Abra allowed herself one, final errant thought.

_Well this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,_


	9. Part the Ninth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't update last week. Life got in the way big-time. As a reward for your patience this chapter is extra long.

It was worse, it was far worse than Abra had imagined anything could be. Hell was bad, but at least it was a place in its own right. This wasn’t a place, this wasn’t anything, this was what shouldn’t be.

_Limbo,_

While the tree had energized her, this new place sapped her strength for every second she stayed here. 

_I can’t stay, I SHOULDN’T stay, even if I do I’ll time out and get dragged home in a few minutes,_

Abra forced down the rising dread, no matter how hard this was for her she wasn’t the only one here.

_I’ll stay until Loki makes it out of here, I can hang on a little longer, just a little longer…_

 

* * *

 

Loki crawled out of the crater with a groan.

_So this is limbo, it certainly exceeds expectations,_

Rocky, gray landscape shrouded in gray mist surrounded him on all sides; extending as far as he could see. Even more eerie was the complete and utter lack of life. The landscape was completely devoid of any sort of plant or animal. Not even moss or lichen touched the barren ground. 

“Limbo,” Loki said to no one in particular “I can’t say that I’m impressed,” Behind him Loki heard the Hel-Wolf pulling himself from the ground.

“You know Loki…” he said softly “I swore I’d serve you as long as I lived. I’ve had the life cut out of me by those slattern bitches of Mephisto’s,” flames began to burn behind his sinister, toothy grin “Where does that leave us?”

_Uh oh,_

Loki scrambled out of the rocky pit to avoid the oncoming inferno, he didn’t stop running after he got up; the Hel-Wolf in deadly pursuit. 

“Your marrow is mine you bastard!” he bellowed.

Loki ducked into a crevice, narrowly avoiding the Hel-Wolf’s claws. However, fire soon replaced them. Loki could hear the demon wolf howl and rage from just beyond the entrance to his pitiful shelter.

“Who’s the ‘Good boy’ now you afterbirth! Who’s the ‘little doggy’?!”

Loki pulled his limbs away from the flames and as tightly to his body as he could manage. Suddenly, the Hel-Wolf’s enraged bellows degraded into a howl of agony. Cautiously, Loki made his way to the mouth of the cave and poked his head outside.

The Hel-Wolf was gone, in his place there was a giant with skin that glowed the red of burning coals and eyes that burned into all those who met their gaze, he wielded a massive sword; Surtur.

Loki steeled himself.

_I negotiated with Mephisto and Hela, I’m sure I can do the same here,_

Loki grinned while doing his best the conceal any nervousness “Hello Surtur,”

Surtur responded with a torrent of fire that Loki could barely dodge “Loki, I know you Loki!” he roared “You are smaller, yet you do not deceive me!”

_The actual deceiving has yet to start,_

Instead of voicing his actual thoughts Loki said “I do not wish to deceive you, I was concerned! I was interested in you,”

Surtur was having none of Loki’s tricks “Aye for some scheme!” he said while the flames surrounding him burned brighter and hotter “Surely your lies are as grand as ever,”

Deciding against any small talk, Loki cut straight to the heart of the issue “Listen, since Ragnarok came I have returned from death twice! I wondered why you had not done likewise. It’s not as if the lord of Muspelheim is known for his tardiness.

Surtur glowered at his sword “First Odin trapped me here, now he is free…” he said “My twilight can slice through space and time…but not from here. This place without weight, without purchase. I am not strong enough, yet,”

_It’s now or never,_

“Let me help you,” Loki spoke up “I want to let you out,”

Surtur roared with rage, fires flaring up all around him “Nay! Not enough! Not enough to make a deal with you, Loki Liesmith!” Loki ducked and scrambled to avoid the blaze brought with each swing of Surtur’s sword “I will be free in time. Already Balder’s ghouls cannot face me. Demons run; those who don’t are my food. Soon I will be strong enough to fight my way through weak reality and home to Muspelheim!” Surtur thundered while preparing to finish off Loki once and for all.

Before the burning sword could complete its final, fatal ark, Loki shouted “And then what?”

This query seemed to anger the fire demon even further “Destroy the nine realms!” he snarled “Bright fuel of screaming, it will all burn! A final Ragnarok, ashes, naught but ashes chocking all!”

_And to think some consider me a villain,_

“But starting with Asgard, yes?” Loki asked “I’ll give you Asgard, that’s where I’ll release you,”

Surtur’s burning gaze narrowed “How would you do this thing?”

Loki replied eagerly “Twilight casts a long shadow, let me take it, let me carry it to Asgard. The link between it and your blade cannot be broken; and similarly, between your blade and you. You will emerge from the shadow like a swimmer from a pool,”

Surtur didn’t look like he was believing a word Loki said, but as he was currently not roasting Loki to a blackened crisp, his offer was obviously giving the fire demon pause.

“Why should you?” Surtur said after a time.

_Now for the finishing touch,_

“I need the shadow for a purpose of my own,” Loki said silkily “A sword’s opposite is a powerful thing; and a sword as mighty as Twilight’s opposite is required for my little mission,” the trickster continued with a sly grin “And Asgard? Let Asgard burn, I’ve died for it once; never again,”

This appeared to satisfy Surtur “Swear to be as ash if you do not speak truth,” the fire demon said “Swear a binding oath; swear so your existence will crumble if you do otherwise,”

Loki barely kept a smirk from spreading across his face.

_Finally, an easy lie,_

“Loki Odinson, of the blood of Laufey, swears to Surtur, on the price of being ash and his very existence when you emerge from twilight’s shadow Asgard as of old will be before you,” Loki recited.

Surtur appraised Loki for a few moments longer before he spoke up “Take the shadow,” he said while extending his sword and casting its shadow over a large, flat area of rock.

Loki glanced to the wide expanse of black cast beneath the massive blade “A little too large, perhaps you could angle your blade?” Loki asked.

Surtur obliged him silently, turning his sword and narrowing the shadow.

“Yes, to the right,” Loki directed “A little more, the light should…” the shadow became razor thin “Ah, yes that’s it,” he picked up the narrow shadow and eyed it appreciatively “My thanks! How lovely,”

“There is naught of love from doom’s own blade,” Surtur grumbled “Now leave before I think better of this,”

Not wanting to push his luck, Loki obliged. While he retreated Ikol spoke up “When he discovers…”

Loki cut him off “By then the task will be complete,”

_I’ll deal with Surtur another day, assuming I live that long,_

“Let’s not count our disastrous chickens while an ill-brained farmhand is still stomping on the eggs,” Loki stopped scurrying and glanced around “Now…we’re not dead. How did Odin get out of this place again?”

 

* * *

 

Abra was fading fast, staying here felt like trying to cling to a crumbling rock wall. Soon her grip on this place would fail and she would be back in Broxton.

_Just a bit longer, Loki’s almost out, once he’s home free I’ll go back,_

Abra had heard the entire conversation between Loki and the fire giant, now all that she had to do was make sure he got out ok.

Suddenly, in just a flash, Loki was gone.

He had found a way out.

Abra could have cried with relief; she could finaly leave this horrible place.

_It’s done,_

She relinquished her grip.

_Go home, back to Broxton, back to Uncle Dan, I did enough for now…_

Almost instantly, Abra was back, lying on her sleeping bag in the middle school basement. Groggily, she tried to sit up; it seemed like almost all of her limbs had gone to sleep.

_Apparently long term/distance traveling has some side effects,_

A new voice spoke up in her head.

_I wouldn’t know,_

Despite the pins and needles in her arms and legs Abra shot up off the sleeping bag. Dan was sitting by her side, meeting her piercing, blue gaze with a steely one of his own.

_How long was I gone?_

_More than four hours, less than five, what were you doing?_

_Checking on Loki,_

Dan frowned ever so slightly.

_Just what is he getting you into?_

Abra bit her lip, she knew full well that Dan didn’t approve of her new friend, even if he didn’t say so in as many words; but he had decided to trust her judgement of him for now.

_Lots of freaky shit, I was fine though, no one could tell I was there,_

_Anything serious?_

_Not right now, but things are going to get worse later, I want to be there for that in case he needs help, I came back because-_

_You need rest,_

Startled by Dan’s interjection, Abra nodded sluggishly. He rarely got the drop on her; she must be more exhausted than she originally thought.

_Before you sleep there’s something I need to tell you,_

_What is it?_

Dan hemmed and hawed about how to tell her whatever it was before he finally spoke up again.

_It’s the shields we made, they’re corroding, whatever is going on is wearing down at them. I don’t know how much longer they’ll hold up before the dam breaks,_

In spite of being mentally, physically, and emotionally drained; Abra jolted at this.

_We need to fix them, how many—_

_I’LL reinforce them, you are going to get some sleep. Don’t worry, I might not be the power house you are but I can do patch jobs just fine,_

Abra hesitated.

_Are you sure?_

_Positive, now get some sleep and don’t make me tell you twice,_

Abra laid back down on her sleeping bag as Dan got to his feet and started to walk away. Probably to check up on all the leaky shields. Her eyelids felt like lead and her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Despite the roiling tension in Abra’s gut, it felt like heaven to lay back flat and shut her eyes.

 

* * *

 

Leah swayed calmly on the swing while Tyr and the Dísir bickered.

_Tyr of battles indeed, Tyr of petty squabbles would be far more precise,_

Suddenly, magic flashed behind her eyes, a message from Hela. Leah quietly listened to her mistress’s words before she spoke up solemnly. “I have news god of war,” Tyr turned towards her “There is a revolution in Hel, as was foretold,” 

“Where Leah?” Tyr demanded “Hela’s subjects dare rise up?”

Leah got to her feet “Not hers, ancient dead have risen from the oldest lands. War dead of the Serpent’s forgotten war; they are those who would depose Hela, not the true dead. The mistress has been seized,” she finished steely.

“Of course,” Tyr said bitterly “The twisted sisters she bargained for are in the outer realms, she is alone. We must to Hel-,”

Leah cut him off “No Tyr, she has called upon her Valkyrie. Hela wished us here, she would not thank us for disobeying her,”

Tyr scowled deeply “Very well, we wait,” he said with a growl “Curse you Loki, we linger while my mistress is in peril…”

Leah eyed Tyr curiously, even after he descended back into arguing with the Dísir.

_He is motived by far more than duty to the dead, can passions truly drive one to such lengths?_

Even if they could, passions were just as likely to lead one to making stupid choices and doomed promises. Hela was right, Leah resolved herself to never let herself think of anything but duty to the dead.

“Look! Look! Look at the pretty strangeness!” one of the carrion women called out.

Leah gazed upwards, a massive, stone city hovered in the sky, like specter from ages past; more of the Serpent’s doings on Midgard.

“What is that?” Tyr whispered.

“It’s the Serpent’s dark Asgard,” a cheeky voice said from behind them.

Leah, Tyr, and the four sisters turned in a flash, blades and magic held at the ready. When Leah saw who had snuck up on the rag-tag group her jaw went slack with awe. It was Loki, sitting on the shoulder of a metal colossus, its eyes burning with barely restrained blood-lust.

Loki smirked upon seeing their surprise “It’s trying to use Heimdall’s observatory atop the Avengers tower to reach Asgard true,” he said “It will fail, and turn to Broxton and use the world tree to do the same,” his grin deepened cracking his professional exterior and revealing a portion of the mischief that lay beneath “Odin will raze the earth rather than see that, and if he fails the Serpent’s reign in Asgard will surely do likewise, but my dear friends I have a different ending in mind for dark Asgard…” he paused to let his words sink in “We’re going to destroy it,”

Leah appraised Loki and his metal minion.

_It appears this idiot can actually do something of substance after all,_

 


	10. Part the Tenth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the unexpected hiatus, things got busy for a while. I can't promise anything right now except that I'm going to try my darnedest to get better about writing more and updating.

The cursed sisters stood in a circle, their most recent kills splattered across the floor and along their gleaming blades. After confirming that no prey had escaped them, the leader gave a quick command to one of the others. She obediently snapped her fingers, summoning the rest of their company in a flash of light; a metal colossus, a single handed warrior, a dark haired girl, a dark haired boy, and a magpie.

“Good work fair ladies,” Loki said after stepping through the portal.

Ignoring his polite greeting, the sister known as Hlök rasped at him while examining a wound on her arm “The lovely prey nicked me!”

Loki inspected her injury “The Serpent’s magic is forgotten magic,” he said “From what I understand that cuts both ways. They didn’t know the perils of naming you, but your curse offers no protection from their arms either,”

Tyr grinned upon hearing this “In other words their blades can actually hack you apart; a tragedy. Still it’s an important mission, we can afford a few casualties,”

Brün glided over to his side with deceptive elegance “One day Tyr, we will raid Hel again,” she hissed in his ear “And you will be there…Our kisses will be sweet and bloody,”

_Well that’s about as much of that as I can stand,_

“Everyone cease your flirtations! Children are present,” Loki said cutting off Brün’s suggestive threats. He turned to Leah “Leah where are we?”

“Once second,” she replied while conjuring a map “We need to get Twilight’s shadow there…” she said while pointing to a room in the center of the fortress “But between here and there are magic hordes of summoned frost folk,” she paused to hum lightly “That is troublesome,”

Loki gazed upon her spectral map with envy.

_Would that I could wield magic with such ease, alas it’s not to be,_

“We need a distraction,” he said “Destroyer? Act in a suitably eponymous fashion,”

The Destroyer stepped forward and began drawing power from the core of its being, bursting from its eye slits, the ray of summoned energy blasted through at least four walls, and drew the attention of the frost folk.

Tyr was stunned “By Odin’s empty eye socket,” he whispered.

Wasting no more time, the Destroyer charged forward and engaged head on with the frost folk while the rest of Loki’s group headed in the opposite direction.

“That thing is a beast,” Tyr said with no small amount of awe “Shouldn’t we face the Serpent with—”

“No, not nearly enough power,” Loki said firmly “It would be a scrap. The Serpent is not one we can face directly; nothing can defeat the god of fear,”

 

* * *

 

The group scurried throughout a maze of corridors, killing or otherwise disposing of anything that crossed their path, until at last they reached their destination; the library. Leah ducked behind a shelf with Loki “Right, we’re here,” he whispered softly.

Several figures in red, hooded cloaks passed by their hiding place “Now these simple clerks…”

At the sound of Loki’s voice one of the figures turned and, too late, called out a warning. It was futile, the Dísir’s arrows silenced them before any could come to their aid.

Tyr stepped out and confirmed that those who would give away their position were no more. Satisfied, he gestured for the others to come forward “Very well, let us…” one of the cobblestones beneath his foot gave way and the glowing image of a serpent appeared on the floor “Curses,” he grumbled.

Loki did not appear troubled “Let’s hope not, a curse would be bad. It’s probably just an alarm,”

“It’s an alarm,” Leah confirmed “I feel it, they are coming,”

Though she was a member of the dread sisterhood, Göndul shook with fear at Leah’s words “The mission is over,” she shouted “We must escape!”

“Silence Gondul!” Tyr and first sister Brün snapped simultaneously.

Despite the imminent doom, looming over all their heads, Leah could have rolled her eyes.

_At last, something the bloody-mouthed ones and the god of petty squabbles can agree on,_

Loki wasted no time taking command “Grown-ups, make ready!” he ordered “Prepare barricades! We will do the important work, well…the important work bar keeping us alive,” he added as an afterthought. The two of them scanned the shelves for their quarry before Loki spoke up again “Leah, can you find it?”

_Is there nothing you can do for yourself trickster?_

What Leah said aloud was “I can, psychometry, a basic spell. Can’t you cast it Loki? I learned it when I was very small,” she said as she began weaving the magic.

_In truth, I have never been any size other than the one I am now, save for when I was still Hela’s hand; but the fact remains, the spell is quite simple,_

Loki appeared to take no notice of her veiled insult “You are a wonderful woman Leah,” he praised “Weave your magic and, assuming survival, I’ll commission statues in your honor,” then his tone became tinted with sarcasm “And I’ll make sure the sculptor makes a flattering one, disguising that hideously distended chin,” he finished with a smug grin.

Leah returned his mocking smile with one of her own.

_Well played Laufeyson,_

The sounds of battle at the entrance to the library increased in volume. Tyr turned his attention towards Loki and Leah “Time is short, our defenses are failing!” he shouted “If you’re going to use Surtur’s child at a point before the next life, now is the time to do so!”

Leah completed her search and seized the desired tome “Loki, this is it,” she called out.

“Quickly Loki,” Tyr boomed “The sword must be drawn,”

“Sword?” Loki said with a small chortle.

Leah was quick to correct the war-god’s ignorance “You misunderstand Tyr,” she explained crisply while opening the book on the floor before her “Twilight is a sword, Twilight’s shadow isn’t; it is its opposite,”

Loki drew the shadow from his pocket “And that’s something considerably mightier than a sword,” he said completing Leah’s explanation “Now there is only the lack of ink to contend with,”

Unbidden, Leah slit her wrist over a small basin, allowing a puddle of blood to pool in it.

Loki, who seemed shocked at her actions, nevertheless gave her an appreciative smile “Thank you Leah,” he said while dipping the tip of the shadow in the blood.

“Now…” he placed the darkened, dripping tip of the shadow to the yellowed parchment of the ancient tome “Let us begin,”

 

* * *

 

Abra woke up too early and too late at the same time. She would have loved to sleep for the rest of the week, but there were too many people Abra had to look out for, shut-eye was a luxury she couldn’t afford right now.

_I’ve been asleep too long, I need to see how everyone is doing,_

She ignored the throbbing at her temples and forced herself to sit up straight on her sleeping bag, then Abra began looking outwards and going off a check list in her head.

_Mom and Dad…Fine, still scared half to death and barricaded in their apartment, but fine,_

_Uncle Dan and Billy…Also fine, standing guard at the road block on the edge of town,_

_Loki and Leah…_

 

_close…_

Abra’s eyes shot open, an awful possibility crept into her head.

_Really, really close,_

The butterflies in her stomach turned into snakes

_serpents_

Abra scrambled up off her sleeping bag and dashed towards the stairs, oblivious to the shouts of concern coming from behind her, not stopping even when she stumbled and almost fell down two flights worth of stairs. Her heart was pounding like a hammer, Abra was doing her best not to think, if she thought about what she saw she would have to think about what it meant. 

_Please be wrong, please, please, please be wrong, please let this be the one time I’m wrong,_

Panting, she reached the top of the steps, slammed the door open, and stepped out onto the roof. Abra turned in a circle, checking each direction.

_East-fine, south-fine, west-fine, north…_

Abra’s jaw went slack and her eyes widened, it felt like her heart would pound its way out of her ribcage. A massive stone city hovered in the inky night sky, Asgard’s dark twin, slowly making its way towards Broxton. Abra stood transfixed, even when other people joined her on the roof and were likewise stunned into silence.

_I’ve been worried about all the wrong things, I was so focused on going out and finding the source of all this, I didn’t even think that trouble might be heading here,_

Abra slumped to her knees and shut her eyes, not wasting any time by pretending to be asleep.

_If someone doesn’t stop it, this is going to be the end of everything,_


	11. Part the Eleventh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad news, I broke one of the bones in my foot. Good news, since I can't go anywhere right now I've been able to get a lot of writing done.

**Deep within the stronghold of the Serpent, history was being rewritten. Three watched and witnessed; three children, a boy and two girls, two flesh and blood, one a hidden phantom. All would see and feel the change being done.**

_Before the Serpent was what he is, he was a man of Asgard. Before he was a man of Asgard he was a boy. Willfulness had not yet hardened into black malice. He roamed the plains freely planning his future._

_Until one day the leathery giant-hands fell upon him._

_Despite his struggles he was taken to a storm-kissed peak._

_The Serpent was silent as he was taken. He was silent as he fell, and as the fist of the earth broke his bones only the slightest gasp escaped him._

_He should be dead but he found himself with a terrible thirst. One that he knew neither dew nor rainwater nor even the wines of distant Asgard would quench._

_He set his splintered limbs as best as he was able. They were awkward and ill formed and they would not support him but they would suffice._

_He realized that today was the day, but day was not right. He waited for the night of the day._

_The Serpent belly crawled to the camp of the slumbering, ale-sated giants and he made his way to each._

_And one by one he gave them sleep eternal._

_A score save one of giants’ throats he tore out that night._

_The one awoke to find himself alone, but with a message._

**_Gods do not live in the sky. We live on the earth, and you do so at our pleasure._ **

_And he understood the Serpent, and he rightly feared him, and all he told of that night did likewise forevermore._

_Afterwards, the Serpent dragged himself to Asgard. His bones were rebroken and reset. Though he was in great pain, thoughts of his triumph masked the agony better than the healer’s herbs._

_He finally knew the way to rip what he wanted from life’s carcass._

_And then he met the girl._

_She cleaned his wounds, she spoke kind words. On the best days she even made him smile._

_When he was healed, he looked for her…but she was gone; and only her memory remained._

_As he grew to his full power and majesty, he looked back on those days. And whenever he dwelt on the lessons he learned of hardness in the gully and the scarlet stained mountain top, he always recalled something else…The mysterious girl with the green eyes and a soft touch._

_And beneath the hide of the hard, scaled Serpent, he hid an inch which he treasured and feared in equal portions; that no other than he would recall…_

 

* * *

 

“It is done,” Loki said while setting the shadow aside.

“Good,” Leah remarked “I can still this bleeding,” with a flick of her fingers green light encircled her wrist, staunching the blood “Though it feels somewhat amiss to close such a small wound when I’m about to suffer so many large ones,”

_I do hope the silver-tongued fool has an escape planned,_

As if on cue, Tyr rushed up to them “Loki, stop admiring your own work!” he shouted, voiced fraying with anxiety “You are done?”

“Aye,” Loki replied.

“Then we are done,” Tyr said with no small amount of finality “How can we—”

A massive explosion knocked out a large wall in the library.

“Escape,” he finished deflated.

The Destroyer, though in less than pristine condition, stood in the jagged hole where the wall once was.

“Like so,” Loki said smugly “This way, swiftly,” he dashed behind the destroyer, Leah was quick to follow him with the rest of the group in tow. They hastily ran down the corridor, until Loki unexpectedly veered to the left “This way!”

Tyr had apparently lost whatever patience he had for the mischief god “Where now? And why now you imp?!” he snarled.

“Dark Asgard flies on engines powered by raw fear-stuff and similar,” Loki said, ignoring the war god’s gruffness “Great, grand engines!” Leah, Tyr, and Loki reached their destination, the engine room. Loki held out the shadow “Let’s blow them up,” he said with a sly grin “Those who can fight hold back the pursuit, those who can’t, cower,” Loki commanded “And Leah…”

Leah cut him off “Prepare a portal to a place other than here?” she said with a slight inflection.

“You read my mind,” Loki said, somewhat amused.

“I would do no such thing,” Leah replied with a smirk “At least not when there’s no bath to scrub myself,” she said haughtily, reveling in Loki’s shocked expression.

_How the circle turns trickster,_

 

* * *

 

 Abra had burned out a while back, right now she was basically running on fumes; doing what she could while she could still do it. Any sort of traveling was exhausting right now, moving some distance away, let alone staying there was pushing it.

Still, Abra stayed and watched. She saw Loki write the story of the girl into the story of the Serpent. She watched until he put away the pen, Leah put away the book and the ink, and all of them fled the library; Abra lingered.

_They’re going to let Surtur out so he can destroy this place,_

Abra was too exhausted from worrying about the Serpent to be scared about Surtur. It would happen; for better or worse. 

_I should go home,_

Abra knew that she couldn’t do anything while she was basically a ghost, but she still loitered there in the desolate library. Then slowly almost lazily, through no power of her own, she began to drift. Too drained from worrying about her family and everyone else to panic, much less fight against it, Abra let herself get carried away.

_Whatever this is I’ll ride it out, Loki and Leah already put an Achilles heel in the Serpent, Thor just has to stab it, no matter what happens to me all this craziness is going to end, soon,_

Further and further away she floated, her surroundings rushed by in a blur. Abruptly, as in a lot quicker than Abra expected; she stopped. She only had to look around for all of two seconds before she figured out where she was. A large man with long blonde hair and a hammer was fighting a massive snakey-looking dragon.

_Thor and the Serpent,_

For some inexplicable reason, Abra’s shine was working like it had just gotten times brighter. She could see everything, she could look at the Serpent and see every thought, every memory, and every emotion, everything that made him himself. Most of it was hard and cruel, angry and ruthless, but one small spot was different. While the rest of him was cold and steely, this tiny, hidden spot was soft and warm. This spot

_The memories Loki gave him_

tied a knot in the fabric of his being; pulling, snarling, and tangling, the Serpent used to be invincible, now he was weak, beatable.

Thor used this, even while he was being poisoned himself, he still struck the Serpent as hard as he could.

The knot split, and the whole tapestry that told the Serpent’s story unraveled as he and Thor began to fall.

_So that’s that,_

Maybe she had seen all that she was supposed to, but for whatever reason, Abra was finally fading away; back to Broxton and back to unconsciousness.

_It’s all over and they’re all ok,_

Her Mom and Dad, Uncle Dan and Billy, Loki and Leah, everyone had made it out alright; Abra could finally relax for the first time in days.

Her vision was dimming and her presence away from her body was fading. Abra welcomed it, she needed rest; but before she left completely, one last hazy, dream-like vision flickered behind her eyes. Abra’s burned-out brain struggled to comprehend.

_Why are there are two of each of us?_

_Two Leahs, two Lokis, and two of me…_


	12. Part the Last

_Now for the final step,_

Loki held Twilight’s shadow aloft “Come, Surtur,” he said “Its shadow calls your Twilight sword. An Asgard is here, for your consumption,” Loki dashed the shadow against the engine room floor “I call you Surtur!”

A column of flame erupted from the shadow, parting to reveal Surtur at its core. Upon seeing his surroundings, the fire giant’s features twisted with rage “This is not Asgard!” he roared, the walls trembling with the force of his anger.

“I live in Asgard. I would be a sorry god to blow up my own home,” Loki said snidely “Besides—This looks like a perfectly good Asgard to me. To whine so is most unseemly,” he gestured to their surroundings “You wanted energy? You have it here the fire can consume a dark Asgard as well as a light one; and, I have to note, you are also free and able to return home. Won’t that be nice?”

Surtur’s gaze narrowed to two blazing slits “That it would,” he said in the calmest tone that Loki had ever heard him use.

_It looks as though my work here is done,_

“A pleasure doing business with you,” Loki called out while making a hasty retreat. Behind him he heard Surtur roar and revel in his newfound liberation.

_Now might be an ideal time to test the recording feature on my Stark-Phone,_

Once he was a safe distance away, Loki pulled out his phone and began filming Surtur engulfing the engine room in flames; he reduced it to cinders in seconds.

Loki swiftly tucked his phone away “We leave now, yes?”

Ahead, Leah had opened a portal, while she and the Destroyer held the line, Tyr and the Dísir made a hasty retreat through it. After Loki reached them he was quick to follow suit, Ikol flying ahead of him. Though he was only briefly within the churning vortex, Loki knew he was being carried across miles, with Leah and the Destroyer not far behind him.

Their paltry group reunited on the ground in the desert near Broxton, taking a few moments to gather their wits. Suddenly, Leah broke the silence “Loki, what’s that?” she pointed to two falling bodies in the distance.

Loki’s breath caught in his throat.

_Please don’t let it be,_

He desperately scrambled the nearest rocky hill, he reached the top, looked down at the gathered crowd in the distance, and felt the bottom drop out of his world.

Thor was in Odin’s arms, eyes shut and unmoving, dead.

Faintly, Loki heard Leah walk up from behind him “Thor’s dead, but I thought…” she trailed off in confusion “You said the prophecy was junk,”

“No, I said it was wishful thinking,” Loki said bitterly “That means it’s the best we could hope for,” his voice lowered to a harsh whisper “Everything has its cost; the Serpent’s life for Thor’s. I knew it all along, what do you think the world tree told me?”

Loki paused to prevent his emotions from overcoming him, only once he was sure that he could keep his voice level did he continue “We fought for a chance to let Thor triumph, we fought for a chance to let Thor’s sacrifice mean something,”

Leah’s eyes widened with understanding “You fought for a chance for your brother to die,” she said solemnly.

“Aye,” Loki said quietly “So I guess we won,”

_If one can call the loss of Thor winning,_

Loki was startled from his mourning by the sudden vibration of his Stark-Phone. He pulled it from its pouch, welcoming the distraction.

**ABRACADABRA: I got your messages, sorry I didn’t reply sooner, a lot of crazy stuff went down but me and my family made it out ok**

_Abra,_

_So she’s alive after all,_

Mechanically, Loki typed out a reply.

**LOKIOFASGARD: No apology is needed, with all the chaos it is no wonder you were preoccupied**

**ABRACADABRA: Yeah things were nuts for a while, what about you, are you ok?**

Loki stared at the typed message on the glowing screen of his Stark-Phone, wondering how, after all that had transpired, a person could remain so blissfully ignorant. The sole person in the nine realms who loved him was dead by Loki’s own hand. He would be surrounded by people who loathed and despised him, and, by alienating them with his own dark deeds, none of Thor’s compatriots, would come to his aid.

Loki breathed deeply, trying to keep the roiling storm of grief inside him at bay, and lied to Abra for the first time.

**LOKIOFASGARD: Yes**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the first work in this series. I'll begin posting the sequel sometime in October, I've already started writing it. See you then.


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